The Anniversary of the Anti-Fascist Victory of the Peoples: A Source of Inspiration for Today

 

AKEL Event at the Monument to Cypriot Fallen Soldiers of the Second World War

8 May 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

9 May 1945, marks a glorious milestone in humanity’s history. It symbolizes the defeat of Hitlerite fascism, the end of the barbarity of the Holocaust and concentration camps, and the preservation of human civilization. The Anti-Fascist Victory of the Peoples remains to this day a symbol of the power of the peoples when they struggle united against wars and fascism, to defend democracy and peace.

AKEL pays tribute to all the peoples across the world who rallied their forces against Hitlerite fascism, to the fighters of the heroic Resistance movements, including the epic struggle waged by the heroic EAM-ELAS in Greece.

We pay tribute to the leading contribution made by the Soviet Union and its peoples, who, at the cost of tens of millions of lives, bore the brunt of the struggle against the Nazi hordes.

This anniversary recalls the glorious chapter in Cypriot history with the thousands of Cypriot volunteers —Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots—who enlisted to fight against Hitler’s fascism, dozens of whom gave their lives on the battlefields. A special page of honor is the historic decision taken by the Central Committee of AKEL on 16 June 1943, for the voluntary enlistment of Cypriots in humanity’s battle against fascism.

This year’s anniversary finds the world facing a dangerous revival of the far right and fascism. At a time of wars, social inequality, and insecurity, the far right is seeking to poison societies with racism, xenophobia, intolerance, and authoritarianism, threatening democratic freedoms, human rights, and the social gains won by the peoples.

9 May is not only a day of remembrance, but also a call to struggle for the present. The peoples of Europe and the world are called upon to remember their history and to resist and fight the normalization of the far right, against fanaticism, nationalism, and division. Especially for Cyprus, which is still suffering from the tragic consequences of chauvinism and nationalism, the anti-fascist struggle is a cause of democracy, peace, and the reunification of our land and people.

The Red flag at the Reichstag has shone on the historical horizon from 1945 into the 21st century as an enduring symbol and irrefutable proof that fascism was never, and is not, invincible.

In honor of the Anti-Fascist Victory of the Peoples, AKEL is holding a symbolic event on Saturday, 9 May at 10:30 a.m., at the Monument to Cypriot fallen soldiers of World War II (next to PASYDY, Nicosia), where wreaths will be laid.